Anthony Mackie Video Interview ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER; Talks About the Script and Why He Took the Role

As most of you are well aware, 20th Century Fox is getting ready to start filming director Timur Bekmambetov’s (Wanted) feature adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been reporting on the casting announcements including Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Mary Todd Lincoln, Anthony Mackie as Will (Lincoln’s best friend), Dominic Cooper as Henry (“a mythic, ageless figure who turns Lincoln into an axe-throwing expert slayer of vampires”), and Benjamin Walker as Abraham Lincoln.

Anyway, last weekend I was in New York City covering The Adjustment Bureau junket for our partners at Omelete. During my interview with Mackie, I asked him how he got the part in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and he told me how impressed he was with the script and how he’s going to prepare to play a vampire hunter. Hit the jump for his quotes and the video.

That’s actually a project I’m really looking forward to. Did you fight to get that part?

Mackie: Yeah. I met with the producers and the director about three or four months ago. When I first heard about it, it sounded kind of ridiculous. I was like, “There’s no way they can make this into a good movie — a viable project.” That’s when I read the script, and I talked to the director, Timur [Bekmambetov], and I was really blown away by what he put together and the idea — the premise of the story. It’s actual historic accounts of Abraham Lincoln in the past. And they just put in this vampire subplot which actually works really well. I was really surprised by what they were able to do with this script.

I’m really looking forward to it. When do you start filming that thing?

Mackie: We start at the end of March down in New Orleans. I’m really excited about getting my machete and start chopping on vampires.